XV. METEOROLOGICAL RECORDS 
29. South-east Asia in general suffered an unusual short-fall of rain. 
Southern Malaya and Singapore were particularly affected. The average 
rainfall in the Gardens for the previous 49 years (1914-1962) was 98.12 inches 
and this was matched in 1963 by only 66.94 inches, or 68.2 per cent. The 
recording station at Bukit Timah again supported prognostications of a 
higher rainfall on the forest clad hill; 89.73 inches of rain were recorded there. 
The number of days on which rain was recorded was at both stations very 
much less than normal. Data of rainfall and other phenomena are recorded 
in Appendices II, III and IV. 
BOTANICAL RESEARCH 
XVI. PLANT COLLECTING 
30. Five major collecting expeditions were undertaken and several 
minor ones. The two most important were made, one by Dr. Chew Wee Lek 
in collaboration with officers of the Sarawak Forest Department to the 
limestone areas of Bau and Tiang Bekap near Kuching, and the other by 
Mr. Lam Hin Cheng, who joined the U.N.E.S.C.O. Expedition to Surat Thani 
and Saraburi in Thailand. The former expedition was made in June when 
some 200 numbers including a new undescribed species of Arthocarpus were 
collected for the herbarium. The latter expedition was one of the series 
conducted by U.N.E.S.C.O. to study the limestone flora of south-east Asia 
(see Annual Report for 1962, para. 27) while at the same tune being a 
training course for young botanists to give them experience of living and 
working under primitive and often arduous conditions. Collections were made 
in the limestone areas near Surat Thani in Peninsular Thailand and near 
Saraburi north of Bangkok. The main botanical collections have gone to the 
Royal Thai Forest Department herbarium, Bangkok, for preparation and 
distribution and a set will be deposited at the Singapore herbarium. Mr. Lam 
made extensive collections of many groups of plants for despatch direct to the 
Singapore Botanic Gardens for cultivation. Some 150 numbers were so 
obtained. The conditions of this expedition were made very uncomfortable 
by monsoon rains, and in this respect more than fulfilled training expectations. 
It is a mistake for budding young botanists to imagine that they can be only 
fair weather field workers, for some species of plants only flower and fruit 
in the rains and it is then that the botanist must be in the field to observe 
and collect them. At the conclusion of the U.N.E.S.C.O. expedition, Mr. Lam 
went to Chiengmai and Doi Su Thep for further collecting and returned with 
an additional 93 numbers. A schedule of all collecting outside of the main 
island of Singapore is given at Appendix V. 
XVII. EXCHANGE, ACQUISITION AND LOANS 
31. Duplicate specimens were again distributed to collaborating 
institutions outside Singapore, the larger lots going to Kew (1,094 numbers), 
Leiden (1,184 numbers), Arnold Arboretum (980 numbers), and to Lae (710 
numbers). The total quantity distributed was 6,674 duplicates, while 5,347 
6 
